module specification

This module introduces students to the Music sector in relation to enterprise and business practices, it will provide insight into the structure of the Music industry from its formation in the early 20th Century to the present day, highlighting sectors of employment and job roles available to them.

Important elements of Copyright, Contracts, Distribution and Royalty management will be introduced, with a focus on digital distribution and the future of the Music industry.

Therefore, the module investigates the key music business practices needed to prepare students for careers in the industry, whether self-managed portfolio career musicians, music producers or engineers.

The module will enable the students to develop their entrepreneurial skills, encouraging critical thinking in regard to their path in the Music sector and progressing into Higher Education.

This module also engages students with the key academic skills including critical and contextual study, research, reflective practice and writing skills. These skills are embedded into both the teaching and assessment across the module.

The structure of this module will be separated into two semesters, providing the core information in the first semester, through seminars and guest lectures, working towards guided group work in the second semester researching and creating a business plan.

Aims of the Module:

1. To introduce students to music as an industry and an opportunity for enterprise, highlighting career paths, areas of growth and potential future roles.
2. To promote students’ entrepreneurial thinking in regard to a career in the music industry.
3. To give the preparatory skills and knowledge in putting together business plans and creating digital profiles which may lead to future opportunities for funding and investment.
4. To develop key skills in research and analysis, in particular in regards to the music industry and preparing case studies.

Key Subject Areas:

• History of the Music/Recording Industry
• The structure of the Music Business and “Fordism”
• Digital Media and the future of the Music Industry
• Digital Profiles, Websites and Online Presence
• Employment and Enterprise opportunities in the Music Industry – Sectors and Job Roles:
o Technical services – recording, mixing and mastering, live sound and tour management
o Musical services – composition, arrangement and performance.
o Manufacturing – Music merchandise including CD’s and vinyl, manufacturing equipment and instruments, equipment and instrument repair.
o Retail
o Marketing and promotion:
• Music Entrepreneurship, Portfolio Careers and Working Musicians
• Copyright, Contracts, Distribution, Rights and Royalties – PPL and PRS
• Business plans – The Prince’s Trust Template
o Executive summary
o Company structure
o Market analysis
o Strategy
o Costing plans

The balance between independent study and scheduled teaching activities within this module is 70% and 30% respectively.
Scheduled teaching follows the average contact time, per standard 30-credit module across the University, at 90 hours (3 hours per week). The scheduled teaching is divided in Lectures, Workshops, and Seminars.
Independent study provides students with the opportunity to develop LO4 – Working individually and as part of a team to create a business plan, exploring opportunities in the Music Industry.

Students have access to the Music IT Lab and Library facilities at London Met. Blended Learning is maintained via Weblearn Course and Module pages with full documentation of the activities developed in class. Opportunities for reflective learning/PDP are promoted through feedback and written reports, embedded in all assessments with emphasis on reflection of their work. Formative assessment and feedback is planned to address their learning development needs and to capture their learning achievements with a regular request of reflective commentaries in all written submissions.

On successful completion of this module, students should be able to demonstrate:

LO1. Personal evaluation and critical thought in relation to the enterprise and employment opportunities available.
LO2. Knowledge and basic understanding of the music industry, its structure and employment sectors.
LO3. The ability to analyse and evaluate sectors of the Music Industry in the form of a case study, highlighting opportunities and career paths in the field of Music Technology and Music Business.
LO4. Working individually and as part of a team to create a business plan, exploring opportunities in the Music Industry.
LO5. A basic understanding of Music Copyright, Rights and Ownership.

First Assessment (Formative)
Digital Profile/Portfolio Website – development of an online competency portfolio as a platform for showcasing skills and work to be submitted in week 4. In week 5 students will be given feedback on their Portfolio Website which they must reflect on to support their development and learning in preparation for the week 7 summative assessment.

Learning Reflection (Summative)
500 Word Reflective Blog Entry - As part of their Portfolio Website students should produce a blog entry account of their learning so far. In doing so considering their experience on your course, the feedback they have received in their modules and their own reflection on formative feedback.

Midterm Assessment
Music Enterprise Case study – individual research project into a chosen subject area covered in the first half of the module. Word count up to 1000-words.

Group Final Project
Business plan/model including:
Executive summary - pitching the idea, analysis of services provided in the music industry, specific market research, market strategy and competitors.
The Business plan will also include a 10/15-minute group pitch presentation of the proposed idea/plan.
The entire group project should be up to 1500-words

Core and Additional Reading list available on:
https://bblearn.londonmet.ac.uk/webapps/blackboard/content/contentWrapper.jsp?course_id=_39632_1&displayName=Reading+List&href=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Fblti%2FlaunchPlacement%3Fblti_placement_id%3D_68_1%26course_id%3D_39632_1%26mode%3Dcpview%26wrapped%3Dtrue

Core Reading:
• Harrison, A. (2021) Music: the business: the essential guide to the law and the deals.
• Wikström, P. (2020) The music industry: music in the cloud. Third edition. Medford: Polity (Digital media and society series).
• Barrow, C., Barrow, P. and Brown, R. (2021) The business plan workbook: a step-by-step guide to creating and developing a successful business. Tenth edition. London ; New York: Kogan Page.
• Fitterman Radbill, C. (2017) Introduction to the music industry: an entrepreneurial approach. Second edition. New York, NY ; Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.